Witness Kalaripayattu like never before with this performance in Delhi

Dedicated to the Bhuthas (five elements) — earth, water, fire, air, and ether — Kalaripayattu is the world’s most ancient martial art. An upcoming show in the Capital offers an interactive performance that will combine theatre and dance on traditional and contemporary music beats. Led by Philippe Pelen Baldini and Thierry Moucazambo, the performance titled BHU – EARTH, will be guided by master of Kalaripayattu Sri Guru Lakshman Gurukkal. It aims to create a dialogue between the earth and the body of the performers, music, and the audience.

A still from the performance.

The experimental play will use both modern theatrical, choreographic tools, and the traditional form of Kalaripayattu to create an organic and contemporary dance show. The performance, which will narrate the journey of a man who discovers his deep union with Mother Earth (Bhu), promises to go beyond just the story, inviting the audience to an itinerary, one that everyone can be a part of.

“The show tells a story of a man who is full of anger and violence. He meets a Kalaripayattu master and wants to learn how to fight from him. However, that isn’t what the master has in mind for him,” says Thierry Moucazambo, assistant director of Bhu. “He, instead, teaches his student to fight his demons, his fear, and his ego, and also teaches him to dance with the five elements as well as with the wild beasts. It is an interesting journey that the audience will truly enjoy, something we have been working on since early 2016,” he adds.

A still from the performance.

All performers in the show will be Kalaripayattu warriors, dancers, healers, and masters in energy. With them, the audience will be able to experience the origin of movement and the theatrical act. The show aims at giving an experience of a body “becoming all eyes” which is an old saying in Kalaripayattu wisdom, meaning something which happens when the body is fully connected with its surrounding environment and nature.